Book Review: A Traitor in Whitehall, by Julia Kelly

I was reading a new thriller, and taking forever. After about 55%, I asked myself, "Do I really care about these characters? Can I live without knowing what the 'big twists' are?" The answers were "no" and "yes." So I gave up.  Sometimes I easily blame myself for not enjoying a book--not in the right mood, not enough time to read...you get the idea. But sometimes I just don't like the book! And I need to admit that. After reading over half the book I still couldn't keep the two main characters apart.

All of that is to say, I decided to try A Traitor in Whitehall, and I really enjoyed it. I read it in three sittings! It grabbed me from the beginning. It was an easy read. So I realized, I CAN read and enjoy a book! There's nothing wrong with me!!

It's 1940 in England and Evelyn is doing everything she can for the war effort by working in a munitions factory. When she runs into a friend of her father's, he gets her working as a typist in Winston Churchill's war rooms. Top secret stuff. She works three days and must stay at the underground facility. Then she gets two days off to go home.

She is trying to get to know the women she works with when one of them is murdered. And Evelyn is the one who finds the body. She can't help but begin investigating, but this causes her to butt heads with David, who is investigating for the government. She also finds out he's investigating a mole who is selling secrets to the enemy. Are the two crimes related? David allows Evelyn to help him in his investigation, and it turns out she's pretty good at it. 

The clues are interesting, and there are plenty of suspects. This is the first of the Parisian Orphan series, so as everything is solved, we find out more about David and his work. It seems Evelyn and David will be working together in the future. I'll be interested to read more of their adventures.

This one is a pleasant and easy read. The characters are likable and easy to root for. The historic setting is always a plus for me. Read A Traitor in Whitehall if you are interested in these types of stories.

Published by Minotaur, October 3, 2023
eARC obtained from Edelweiss+
304 pages

Rating: 4/5

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Book Review: The Bone Hacker by Kathy Reichs

The Bone Hacker is the latest Tempe Brennan book, and as expected, it was very enjoyable.

This episode brings Tempe to Turks and Caicos where several young men, tourists, have been disappearing. Some bodies have been found and they need help from our favorite forensic anthropologist.

Seemingly unrelated accidental deaths have also occurred. It's all very confusing and the pieces don't come together until the end.

Another creative plot that kept me turning pages and kept me guessing (incorrectly) at the resolution. As usual, it gets tense as Tempe herself faces danger.

If you are a fan, as I always say, you won't want to miss this latest installment. If not, you should start anywhere -- it isn't necessary to read these in order. And if you've only watched the TV series (Bones), you are missing out!

Published by Scribner, August 1, 2023
eBook obtained from NetGalley
336 pages

Rating: 4.5/5

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Audiobook Review: Killers of a Certain Age, by Deanna Raybourn

At first, I thought Killers of a Certain Age was going to be a kind of tongue-in-cheek cutesy assassin story. After the introduction, when the women were fighting for their lives, the tone changed, and I found it to be pretty exciting.

Billie is the narrator of the present time. She is one of four, recently retired women, who have worked for the past 40 years as assassins. The organization they work for, the Museum, started out as a Nazi-hunting squad, but since the Nazis' numbers have dwindled, their mission is to investigate, target, and assassinate unscrupulous people all over the world.

The four women have been sent on an all-expenses-paid cruise as a retirement gift. Turns out their real gift is finding out they, themselves are targets of the Museum. Once they figure this out, they are on their own to escape their former colleagues who are now trying to assassinate them and to figure out why they have been targeted.

Their methods are creative and intriguing. The four each have different personalities and different strengths. We get flashbacks of how they were recruited and trained 40 years ago, and some of their early missions are described.

They can trust no one, as we soon find out. Their destiny seems an impossible one to escape. There are surprises all the way through, and I only figured out the situation as the characters did.

All in all, Killers of a Certain Age was time well spent. Oppenheimer and Delaine, the narrators, did a great job. (One did the present, and the other did the flashbacks.) I would recommend this one if it sounds interesting and highly recommend the audio version.

Published by Berkley, 2022. Penguin Audio.
Audiobook obtained from libro.fm
368 pages

Rating: 4.5/5

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AudioBook Review: The Guardians by John Grisham

I always enjoy Grisham stories, but I really loved The Guardians.

I think it's because of the premise. The main character, a lawyer named Cullen Post, created and runs Guardian Ministries, a nonprofit that works to get innocent people, most of them on death row, out of prison. I totally believe there are many people, right now, who are in prison but innocent. I just can't imagine being in that situation.

Post is trying to prove the innocence of Quincy Miller. Twenty-two years ago, Quincy was convicted of murdering a lawyer at his desk. Post knows this isn't true, but proving it and getting anyone in the legal system to listen to him, isn't easy. And it turns out the people who framed Quincy are powerful and dangerous, which creates the build-up of suspense. 

I enjoyed all the people who work with Post. They are colorful and special characters. While he is working to free Quincy, we learn about several other cases that Post is working on and some of those that he's been successful in getting released from prison.

I loved the narrator, Michael Beck. He has the appropriate southern drawl, but not too irritating. I thought he was perfect for this story, and he has narrated several of Grisham's novels.

The Guardians is a good one, combining good guys, and colorful bad guys, in the courtroom and on the street. If you enjoy Grisham, you won't want to miss The Guardians.

Published by Doubleday, 2019. Random House Audio
Audiobook obtained from Libro.fm
384 pages

Rating: 5/5

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Audiobook Review: Stay Close, by Harlan Coben

I'm a big Coben fan and hadn't read one for a while so I was very entertained by Stay Close.

Megan, a suburban housewife with two kids, a handsome husband, and a beautiful house, has a secret past. When she decides to return to one of her old haunts -- where they know her as Cassie -- she ends up digging up more than she bargained for.

Ray, a two-bit photographer who is constantly down on his luck, is someone from Cassie's past. Ray inadvertently takes a picture of a man right before he disappears. He sends the picture anonymously to the police, and Detective Broome is on the case. 

These three characters will have their world turned upside down as they dig into this case. Turns out there are many more missing men, going all the way back to Cassie's and Ray's relationship.

Stay Close has also been turned into a Netflix series if you are interested. The audiobook narrator, Scott Brick, does a great job. The voices are distinct, but his narration doesn't get in the way.

As in all Coben stories, there are many twists and turns and lots of surprises. The characters are sympathetic, even with all their faults. The way these surprises are revealed is classic Coben, and if you haven't experienced his storytelling, you should try Stay Close. Or my favorite, Tell No One. Or really any of his mystery thrillers. You won't be disappointed. 

Published by Dutton, 2012

Audiobook obtained from Libro.fm
387 pages

Rating: 4.5/5

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Book Review: Paradox, by Catherine Coulter

I almost forgot about this book!  A friend gave it to me and I read it on a camping trip and then left it in a Little Free Library.

Paradox is #22 in the FBI Thriller series, but the first one I've read. It was a quick, enjoyable read.

The main characters are Sherlock and Savich, a married couple, who thwart an attempted kidnapping of their young son. In the meantime, Chief Ty Christie witnesses a murder on the lake from the deck of her cottage.

When they drag the lake, they find a lot of old bones, and so the FBI (Savich) is called in. There are some twists and turns. The killer is known as the characters investigate. It has been a while since I read this and I don't remember many details. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, but pretty much my experience with thrillers of this type.

I'm not a big detective series reader. Usually one or two books then I move on. I would be willing to experience these characters again, but not 21 more times! Also, just FYI, Savich has "visions" that help solve these crimes. I was OK with it, but some may think that is kind of a cop-out. Just sayin'...

If you are looking for a new set of police/detective characters to follow, Paradox would be worth a try. Nothing spectacular, but certainly kept my interest.

Published by Gallery Books, 2018
Copy obtained from a friend
448 pages

Rating: 3/5

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Book Review: Zero Days by Ruth Ware

While Zero Days may not be my favorite Ware book, it can certainly be described as a page-turner!

Jack and her husband Gabe are experts at testing companies' security systems. Jack attempts to break into their facilities and get to the good stuff. Gabe tries to hack their computers. They are very good at what they do.

Jack arrives home very late from an assignment and finds Gabe murdered while sitting at his computer. The spouse is always the first suspect, and since Jack's alibi isn't airtight, she soon becomes the primary target of the investigation. In order to make sure that whoever did this pays for it, Jack goes on the run to try to solve the case herself.

At first, I thought the setup was a bit too cutsie, but soon things take a dramatic turn. At about 50% you begin to suspect the bad guy. But I think that is by design, and you are only at 50%, so trust me, there's a lot more to it. Jack is one of the most determined and resilient characters I have ever met. The length she goes to is astounding. The twists and turns are exciting.

And the end is a bit cutsie too. But all in all, I enjoyed Zero Days a lot and would recommend it. This was a very quick read for me, during times when I've not been reading quickly at all! That says a lot.

Published by Gallery/Scout Press, June 20, 2023
eARC obtained from Edelweiss+
368 pages

Rating: 4/5

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Book Review: The House of Wolves, James Patterson and Mike Lupica

The House of Wolves is another book that I found good, not great.

The Wolf family is a San Francisco power family. They own the professional football team, as well as the prestigious San Francisco Tribune newspaper. When the patriarch dies under mysterious circumstances, the reading of his will brings many surprises. Thirty-six-year-old daughter, Jenny, has been given control of the newspaper and the football team. Her brothers are not happy. Jenny had been an outcast and had not had contact with the family. So all sorts of things are planned to wrestle away the football team from Jenny. You see, her brothers have planned to sell the team to make a huge profit.

Jenny also suspects her father's death was actually a murder, and she's out to prove it and avenge her father's death. Nasty family. Lots of deception and backstabbing.

I'm usually a fan of Patterson and have read a couple of Lupica's books. I found that I didn't care much for the characters. Most of them weren't very nice. And maybe the book went on a bit long, although it isn't that long of a book. I was interested enough, but life got in the way and it took me a long time to finish, so that may be part of it.

It has a nice little twist at the end, but I wish this character had been introduced earlier in the book. I think the ending would have had a bigger impact. So, as stated, I liked The House of Wolves by two very popular authors. If it sounds like something you would like, I would recommend it.

Published by Little, Brown & Co., January 9, 2023
eARC obtained from Edelweiss+
400 pages

Rating: 4/5

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